good morning. mounting pressure. airline officials increasingly angry as officials keep tight restrictions over europe. leaving tens of thousands of passengers sanded and costing the airlines hundreds of millions of dollars every day. road to recovery. exclusive new video of 15-year-old josie ratley, the florida girl nearly beaten to death in an alleged case of text rage. this morning, her mother tells us how her daughter is doing in an exclusive live interview. and bush takes on clinton.

jenna bush haeger talks to former president bill clinton. >> i was thinking, you know, if your family fed him questions, that would be good. >> candid conversation on the bond between their families, chelsea's wedding and much more, bond between their families, chelsea's wedding and much more, "today," april 19th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a monday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm ann curry in for meredith this morning. good morning, everybody. there were some successful test flights over the weekend and there was a lot of hope that 50% of air travel would be restored today over europe but already that number has been reduced significantly. >> that's right. officials now estimate about 30% of flights into and out of europe, roughly 9,000 of the usual 28,000, will be able to take off today, and all 63,000 flights have been canceled in

the past three days, a cost of about $1 billion to the airline industry. and there is word the ash cloud will arrive above parts of north america today. some flights in canada have already been canceled. just ahead, the latest on the situation. get this, ann, a new concern that a second, much larger volcano could -- and i want to emphasize, could erupt. >> really something. new details in the investigation of the murder of monica beresford redman, the wife of a successful television producer. right now, he is the only person identified as a possible suspect in her murder. this morning, his wife's family will be joining us. they've got a lot to say about what happened to their girl. what was michelle obama like as a child? her brother, craig robinson, knows better than anyone and what it's like to visit his sister at their new address,

1600 pennsylvania avenue. let's begin with that volcanic ash cloud hanging over europe. first, let's start with nbc's chris jansing, who is in iceland, where there is growing concern about that potential of a second, more powerful eruption. chris, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. there really is a double threat that's being posed here tonight because under there are rumblings. that second ash plume that settled down because of rain and hail activated again overnight. this is really a volcano that is active and unpredictable. for 400 years, generations of this family have lived in the shadow of the ejjafjoll volcano, the last big eruption in 1981. now, explosions have blanketed

miles of countryside into volcanic grit, turning day into night. >> i felt like american horror movie. >> reporter: a story being repeated again and again as mothers and children evacuate while farmers stay behind to rescue animals from the choking ash. >> we did not expect it in our life it would happen. >> reporter: the volume kcano p a show of ferocious intensity saturday, dramatic explosions that created a billowing plume 30,000 feet high. but by sunday, a surprising shift. at 8:00 am, clouds moved in, the plume diminished, but seismic activity increased. the question is, what does it all mean? >> what we do is we do a simple measurement. >> reporter: this man and his team of volcanologists are gathering clues in the debris. >> we are trying to estimate what's coming out of the volcano

to allow us to foresee what it will do. >> reporter: as they are trying to decide what eyjafjoll will do outside the volcano, that they could travel across miles and trigger a much larger val cano, katla. what are the chances that the seismic activity underneath this volcano could trigger katla? >> the only thing that we know is that this one has gone off three times and in all cases katla has done so as well. >> reporter: in addition to seismologists, who are working on the ground right now, there is a plane up in the air with a team of volcanologiszs checking on that ash plume. later today, it is, indeed, going to move over north america, but is not expected to hit the u.s. matt? >> chris jansing in iceland for us. thank you so much. now the impact of all of this on

air travel and what's being done to get thousands of stranded passengers home. dawna friesen has that part of the story. good morning to you. >> reporter: britain and parts of europe remain a no fly zone for the fifth straight day, there's growing anger, especially from the airlines, that the authorities may have overreacted and closed the skies unnecessarily. for a fifth day, iceland's volcano is creating havoc in the skies. more than 300 airports across britain and europe were closed over the weekend, more than 63,000 flights have been canceled since thursday. almost 7 million passengers affected. it's a financial nightmare for those who are stranded, many of whom are running out of money. >> i have no money and i must keep me alive, you know. >> reporter: and it's costing airlines an estimated $200 million a day, with corporate travel and air freight grounded, the european economy has suffered millions in lost business.

>> every day that an airline is not in the sky costs about a quarter of a percent of their annual sales. on a day-to-day basis if you total it, it's about $200 million. >> reporter: airlines are increasingly angry, several, including british airways, sent up their own test flights. they landed showing no damage. but officials say its test flight did encounter dangerous levels of ash and it's still unpredictable enough to allow flights. >> over uk and northwestern parts of europe, that's still up there in the although moss fear now. >> reporter: groups have blasted european governments for a lack of leadership. britain's emergency team met to consider con continui consider contingencies. >> everything is being done, to look for windows of opportunity where flights are possible. >> reporter: there are predictions that as many as half

the usual european flights may make it into the air today, as pressure on governments mounts to ease restrictions that have thrown global travel and commerce into chaos. european transport ministers are holding an emergency video conference meeting this afternoon to try to come up with contingency plans. british airways has announced it will ask the european union for compensation. matt? >> dawna friesen in london this morning. thank you very much. nbc news transportation analyst mark rosenberg. >> good to see you, matt. >> what did we learn from these test flights conducted by several airlines over the weekend? you have to assume they didn't send their jets up into the heart of any kind of volcanic ash cloud and we know that cloud moves around unpredictably. was this useful at all? >> i think it was useful. they found they could get into gaps where the plume was not

there. this is not the final answer. you really have to take a look at where this plume is going, the movement that it is taking and you have to do this with data and a good kedeal of scien. >> we know why those test flights were conducted. the airlines want to say here is what we can do. they're saying that because this situation is getting desperate, financially. are you worried that pressure will be placed on aviation officials to get these airlines back in the air strictly for financial reasons? >> i don't believe so, matt. look, we enjoy a very, very high grade of safety in the aviation community. and because they make the right decisions. safety will not be compromised, in my judgment. >> the volcanic ash cloud, this volcano could belch ash for weeks to come. i mean, when it comes right down to it, if that does continue over the long period of time, mark, are we running the risk of

losing some airlines? >> well, i can't tell you about where they're going to end up financially, being put out of business or not. i just don't believe that will happen either. but this is mother nature 've got to take the safe do approach, because that is the only approach which will maintain the high level of safety we've enjoyed throughout the world. >> let's bring this back to the consumers now. you've got people stranded at airports for the better part of five days now. if, as i said, this continues for several more days, a lot of hardship there. what's your best advice to consumers who may either be stranded now or have flights booked in the near future? >> everyone is eager to get into the air, carriers, passengers, aviation authorities are attempting to do the best they can in making the right decisions. matt, let me just say this. this is an old aviation say iin. it is better to be on the ground

wishing you were up in the air than being up in the air, wishing you were on the ground. >> i'll leave it at that. thank you. >> i like that point. >> it's a little bit like better safe than sorry. let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories. natalie morales is in for me at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. today, toyota is agreeing to pay a record fine stemming from its gas pedal problems. tom costello is in washington with more. good morning. >> reporter: today is the deadline for toyota to accept or fight a $16.4 million fine. the company is expected to pay up, the largest fine ever assessed by the government against a car maker. the government alleges toyota knew about sticking gas pedals last september, but hid the effects and issued a recall. toyota is facing mounting civil lawsuits as well as criminal investigations. a $16 million fine for toyota is really not significant, but it is yet another strike against the company's reputation.

toyota recalled 2.3 million vehicles in january for the sticking accelerator. the company has recalled more than 8 million vehicles worldwide because of acceleration problems and braking problems. a government official tells nbc news by paying the full civil penalty, toyota is accepting responsibility for hiding this safety defect from nhtsa, the national highway safety administration, in violation of the law. it now has 30 days to write the check. natalie? >> tom costello in our washington bureau. thank you, tom. dramatic rescues more than five days after western china was rocked by a devastating earthquake a 4-year-old girl and a 68-year-old woman were found under the rubble of a house. thousands turned out for the funeral of the polish president and his wife.

the president has a busy week ahead. chuck todd joins us. chuck, good morning. what's on the agenda? >> reporter: good morning, natalie. number one on the agenda is finding one senate republican to go along with 59 democrats on financial regulatory reform or wall street reform in the wake of the whole goldman sachs business last week, the administration believes they have some momentum. treasury secretary tim geithner will be on the hill to try to get one republican. at least to get a bill to be brought to the floor. that's what could be filibustered today. not the legislation itself, just the ability to begin that. the president will overnight tonight in los angeles, flying out there later this afternoon for three fund-raisers for an increasingly vulnerable democratic senator out there, barbara boxer. natalie? >> chuck todd at the white house for us this morning. five major airlines have

agreed not to charge passengers for carry-on bags. responding to spirit to charge $35 for each carry-on, american, united, delta and jet blue told chuck schumer they won't do the same, at least for now.

>> good morning. we are off to a quiet start. the temperatures are in the mid- forties. this afternoon the temperature will push into the low 60s. >> and that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thanks. for the first time, the government is going after a

company that helped some investors profit from the collapse of the housing market. securities and exchange commission filed a civil lawsuit friday against powerhouse goldman sachs. we've got msnbc's dylan ratigan here to talk about this. good morning. >> good morning to you. >> walk us through exactly what the shenanigans specifically were. >> here's an accusation. as with anything with wall street, you have one group of people who believe that a bunch of home mortgages were going to be worthless and you have another group of people who maybe didn't know. goldman sachs was called by an individual who believed that these mortgages were going to become worthless and goldman was asked to package them together and sell them to another goldman customer. if i came to you and said these six mortgages are all going to collapse. can you assemble them into a single device and find somebody else to buy them so that i can bet they're going to decline? here is the concern. the accusation is that goldman

sachs, when they did this, misrepresented what they were selling to their customers, so that they didn't disclose to their customers that the basket that they were selling had been selected specifically to become worthless. they told -- the accusation is that they told those who were investing in it that this was selected by a third party and this could have any variety of things. >> this really accounts for why there's so much outrage over this. >> it's the evidence of fraud is what it is. >> you're using a very harsh word. >> well, that's the accusations. >> the accusations are coming from the sec. the sec has been widely criticized for not having done enough to prevent the financial meltdown. it didn't stop bernie madoff. >> sure. >> why these charges now, a week before the senate banking -- excuse me, the senate takes up these issues? >> sure. couple of things. one, under the bush administration, funding for the

executor securities and exchange commission was hugely cut. it was as if all of a sudden the budget for the "today" show was cut and everybody wondered why al was no longer being sent to iceland, it's because there was no money for anybody to do anything and they were gutted over the past ten years. as a result, you've seen very little enforcement. at this point, we've watched billions of dollars in direct support, trillions of dollars in indirect support and billions of dollars in compensation paid out in our banking system over the past year, year and a half. at the same time, our government owns 80% or 90% of a variety of these banks and refuses to release information about what those banks were doing when they made this money in the first place, puts us in a situation where the government appears to be covering up or suppressing information on behalf of the banks at the expense of our students, our retirees and middle-class taxpayers.

what you're seeing from the sec here is a compulsion to act, in some way, that appears to be active when faced with a menu of failures over the past ten years. >> obviously, we're not going to hear the end of this. >> no. >> a big week coming up where the senate is taking this up. dylan ratigan, thank you so much. catch the dylan ratigan show weekdays at 4:00 pm eastern on msnbc. it is now 7:19. once again, here is matt. >> ann, thank you. an appeal has been filed against the murder conviction and 26-year prison sentence of american college student amanda knox. keith miller has the details. >> reporter: amanda knox, the 22-year-old student from is going back to court. an appeal for her conviction of murder and violent sexual assault. at almost the same time, the prosecutor in the case announced he will also file an appeal, to increase knox's prison sentence from 26 years to life behind

bars. knox's former boyfriend, sentenced to 25 years in prison, is also appealing. the two were convicted by two judges and a six-member jury last year for the killing of kno x's roommate, meredith kucher, an exchange student from england. knox's lawyer says they will introduce new evidence and request an independent review of the forensic evidence. >> in the room where meredith lost her life, there was not one spec of amanda in that room. and how they can say that she was a part of this crime is beyond me. >> reporter: cold and calculated killers is how the prosecutor describes knox and her former boyfriend. he has also charged knox and her parents were slander. >> we're, of course, hugely disappointed. it's -- you know, he's already got his conviction. he got a long sentence and he's since then also added -- charged her with a new crime. he has charged her with slander.

>> it's almost a vendetta he has against her. >> reporter: knox is allowed one phone call a week to her parents. >> we hopefully like to hear she's in an upbeat mode. >> reporter: served almost three years in prison for a crime she claims she didn't commit. >> i saw her a week ago. she was doing good, trying to stay busy and stay upbeat. >> reporter: the conviction last december created a sensation in italy, where knox is still called by the press angel face. she will be back in court and on the front page of newspapers as early as september. for "today," keith miller, nbc news. still to come, are police closer to arresting a hollywood producer in connection with his wife's brutal murder in cancun? her family speaks out in an exclusive live interview. first, this is "today" on nbc.to

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just ahead, the mother of josie ratley, the florida teen severely beaten in a case of text rage shares exclusive new video of her daughter's recovery. jenna bush-haeger, on one-on-one with former president bill clinton. oh, that's not six yet. whoa. where's the pan? both: over there. ( laughter ) push it down. push it down. thank you for helping. it's amazing what you can make out of a rainy day. childhood is calling. something funny happens

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>> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. time for a check on the morning commute. >> good morning. many earlier accidents have been cleared, but we're still dealing with one around security boulevard on the west side. there are some delays. the spell is backed up from marysville. the normal volume delays

elsewhere -- down to 21 miles per hour on the west side. 90 miles per hour on the south. coming out of white marsh. it is about a nine-minute ride on the inner loop, 60 minutes on the outer loop. let's see what is calling on. you sitting in traffic southbound towards the beltway northeast. we're back off of those rigs from 795. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> good morning, everyone. things are pretty quiet concerning the weather. it is a little cooler out there, in the 40's. it is 36 in frederick. it is 40 at the airport, and 45 in edgewood. by this afternoon you have mostly sunny skies, pushing

temperatures into the low 60s. the average height is 66. it is warmer than over the weekend. the seven-day forecast, a quiet day tomorrow, taking it up to 65. the chance for a few rain showers on wednesday. >> thank you. be sure to check the bottom of your screen for updates throughout the morning. we will be back with another live update.

it is 7:30 now on a monday morning. it's the 19th of april, 2010. a little chillier than we've been used to. out on the plaza this morning, we have a big crowd there. we'll take a second to let them get their faces on tv. there's lenny and other friends. we'll be outside to greet everyone in a couple of minutes. >> several layers did deep out there. >> very big crowd. we'll say hi. i'm matt lauer, alongside ann curry. ann is filling in while meredith is off today. just ahead, a grieving family speaks out. >> really sad story, matt. that's right. monica beresford redman was

murdered two weeks ago in c cancun. her husband, a former produce forefor "survivor" is the only suspect. her mother and sisters will be joining us for an exclusive interview, matt. also, jenna bush hager sits down with president bill clinton, the man her father replaced in the white house, to talk about everything from the unique bond their families share to chelsea's upcoming wedding and president clinton's global initiative. that should be an interesting discussion. speaking of the white house, what was our nation's current first lady like as a child? michelle obama's older brother, craig robinson, will be here to tell us all about that. let's begin with new details of the murder of a tv reality producer's wife in cancun. we'll talk to her family exclusively in a moment. first, miguel almaguer is in cancun. >> reporter: police say they won't rush this case, methodically going over the evidence.

it's a high-profile murder with a suspect, but still no arrests. shortly after police discovered monica beresford redman's body dumped in a sewer, investigators focused their attention on her husband, bruce. he remains their only suspect, but hasn't been seen by police in cancun for over a week. >> translator: me? i haven't heard from him. i don't know if you've talked to him. no? nothing. not a call. no word at all. >> reporter: questioned once by detectives, mexican authorities have said beresford redman can't leave the country until forensic tests are complete. police say evidence found on monica's body and in the couple's hotel room could lead to an arrest. >> translator: we sent the tests to our lab in mexico city. the experts are examining it now. >> reporter: as they wait for scientific evidence, detectives are building a case, focusing on bruce beresford redman's time line the night his wife was murdered. police say he was heard arguing

with monica inside the couple's hotel room hours after he claimed he saw her. the coroner's report estimates she died a short time later. hotel records show that someone went in and out of the couple's room at least a dozen times between midnight and 6:00 am. two weeks later, monica's body was discovered not far from the couple's room. >> who will be voted out tonight? >> reporter: a producer for cbs' hit show "survivor," bruce beresford redman hasn't made any statements but has support from a friend and former cast member. >> this happened a week ago and they still haven't arrested him or charged him with a crime i think really tells you something. >> reporter: after accusations of infidelity, friends say bruce and monica traveled to cancun to work on their marriage. detectives haven't released a motive for murder but monica's family is demanding answers >> translator: obviously, they want justice and that the person

responsible is found, tried and convicted. >> reporter: two weeks old, a person who is a suspect hasn't been charged with the crime. they'll decide whether bruce beresford redman will be charged with murder after tests come back or whether he will be alloweded to have his passport back. ann? >> thank you. we are joined by monica's mother and her sisters and attorney and translator. good morning to all of you. >> good morning. >> let me begin with you, mrs. bergos. what do you want to say about your daughter, monica, and what happens happened to her? >> translator: i would like to say that my daughter was a

winner. she came to the united states and won. she was a wonderful mother, a fighter and a woman full of lif life. >> do you -- >> translator: and the way she was murdered, she finds herself numbed and desperate. she doesn't know what to do. >> carla, you say that monica was your best friend. what do you want to tell us about her?

>> well, she was the strongest and smartest and fun, the life of the party. she was always happy. everybody liked her. she was just a wonderful person, you know. it was not fair the way it was -- she died and we need justice for this. >> let's talk about that. were you concerned, gianni, when you heard she was going to travel to cancun with her husband? what were your concerns? >> i told her that wasn't the right time. he wasn't ready for that. he wasn't ready to give to my sister what she needed. they were having serious problems and she was trying to save her marriage, because her family was the most important thing for her. but i told her he wasn't committed and it wasn't the time for her to do that. she needed to take care of herself and let him take care of himself, because he needed help,

but she was concerned with the family and with the kids, because that was the most important thing for her. >> mrs. bergos, let me ask you this. you say you believe your son-in-law, bruce, should be arrested. what makes you so sure that he is involved in your daughter's murder? >> translator: i think there should be justice. everything indicates that it should be so. >> and your -- are you -- sorry. go right ahead. >> translator: the form with which the crime was committed

was terrible. it was horrible, horrific. there should be justice, whether here or in mexico. she was an american citizen. mexico has to show that there is justice, there is the law and the laws to do so. nobody has the right to destroy a family & in the way that they did it. no one has that right. >> we should probably mention that bruce has not been charged with any crime so far. i also need to mention that your family wants to bring monica's body back to los angeles for burial and, as a result, you're

having a memorial so that you can raise the money to do that. carla, gianni, ellie bergos and andrea ferros, thank you for joining us as well. now let's get a check on a much lighter topic, of the weather from al. >> thanks a lot, ann. we look at the week ahead tochlt start the week, normal conditions in the northeast, below-normal temps and wet weather in the southeast. a lot of rain moving in from the west. by the mid week, that storm system makes its way a little further to the east. above-normal temperatures in the plains and also the northeast. and the latter part of the week, we are looking at below-normal temperatures through the southwest with some snows in the mountains there. above-normal temperatures in the upper mississippi river >> good morning, everyone. i am tony. after of chilly start, it will turn out to be a nice day. generally sunny with high temperatures. low to m

if you want to keep track of your weather, check out the weather channel or click on weather.com. ann? >> al, thanks. coming up next, "today's" jenna bush hager sits down with former president bill clinton to talk about their families and chelsea's wedding. [ male announcer ] there's a whole new way

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[ male announcer ] trugreen. go greener. we're back now at 7:42. only a handful of people know what it's like to live in the white house. on sunday, two of them got together for a chat. contributing correspondent jenna bush hager caught up with president bill clinton at cgiu, the clinton global initiative university in miami. >> well, thank you so much, president clinton. i'm sure this is a rarity, at least for me, a bush interviewing a clinton. >> i know. i was thinking, you know, if your family fed him questions, that would be good. >> no. they love you. they joked that you're my grandfather's stepson. have you heard that? >> i have. >> he talks about you more than he talks about anyone else in the family. >> your grandmother always says every family has one, a black

sheep. >> how do you balance everything, the stress of rebuilding haiti, your global initiative, your foundation, travel, family? >> well, sometimes i don't. it's a constant struggle, you know, even at my age. when i had my serious surgery five years ago, almost six years ago now, i realized that i had been given like a new lease on life. so, i felt like i should do more of the things i'm doing now. >> so, this year at cgiu, you have 1,300 participants. what strikes you about some of these kids? >> there's this understanding that they live in an interdependent world and that they have to find ways to get along, work together, do things together. it's very different than people a generation older. >> and six students from haiti, too, what have they added this year? >> they put a human face on the compassion people feel for haiti. i also think seeing those young people and listening to them, it became impossible for people to believe that haiti's future was

going to be dictated by its past, that the political problems of the past or the fact that by far its the poorest country in our hemisphere cannot possibly mean it's fated to be that way forever. >> you said that you want young people to know that they can do thing that is make a real difference in other people's lives even if they don't have a lot of money. >> because of technology, you don't have to have a lot of money. look at haiti. more than half of american households gave money over the internet or text message systems on the phone. you're automatically capped out at $10. >> president obama appointed you and my dad to head up fund-raising efforts there. why do you think this bipartisan approach works? >> first of all, people like it in america. they just get sick of all of us fighting all the time. you know, it reminds them that there are some things that are just beyond politics, that are human and personal. they know that your father and i, our political days are over. we're doing this because we think it's the right thing to

do. >> schools just reopened in haiti. as a teacher, i'm thrilled about that. why is that so important? >> first of all, it's bad for young people who have -- particularly those who have lost family members, to be trapped in these miserable, uncomfortable tents, have nothing to do all day, nothing to look forward to. secondly, the country needs it to start educating its people. so, what we're trying to do now is use this as the beginning to total universal enrollment. it's hugely important. the country cannot escape its system. thank you all. sorry you're wet. >> not the perfect day, but -- you're very busy and your daughter is getting married this summer. so, are you helping with any of the wedding planner? >> absolutely. not the planning. i do -- the only planning is to pay the bill. >> you sound like my dad. >> i am participating. chelsea has been good enough to include me in the decisions they're making about how to do it. so, i love that, but -- >> how do you think you're going to feel when you watch her walk

down that aisle? >> proud, grateful, wishful. i'll be thinking about the day she was born. >> so sweet. >> i'll be thinking about the first day of school. i like and i adme my perspective son-in-law. i feel grateful they have been such close friends for half of chelsea's life. i look forward to what they do together and i'm happy about that. that doesn't mean it will be all that easy, you know. i just hope i can keep it together till i walk her down the aisle and do the hand-off. >> good luck. >> what i'm supposed to do. >> good luck. >> like your dad was telling me with you, you know, you know it proves you've done what you were supposed to do, but it doesn't make it entirely easy. >> still ahead, exclusive new video of 15-year-old josie ratley. she's the one recovering from that savaged text rage beating.

up next, causing misery for air travelers around the globe. we'll look at the more breathtaking side of that volcano in iceland. so it's a special place for me. i'm so comfortable in my jeans. i love the progress. looking back and saying, "wow, look at the difference." and it makes me love myself that much more. i win. and you can, too. ♪ win, win, i win ♪ i win and you can join for free. weight watchers. because it works. i want a product with the best decongestant. my choice is clear: claritin-d. (announcer) nothing works stronger, faster, or longer to relieve your worst allergy symptoms, including congestion, without drowsiness.

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back now at 7:50. now to some powerful images of the volcano erupting in iceland that's wreaked havoc on travel worldwide. take a look. ♪

♪ >> don't you just wish you were on the edge of that volcano with your camera? >> not in the slightest. not even close. how can something so stunning make such a mess of things around the world? just ahead, we'll talk to jennifer lopez about her kids, her new movie and an album in the works. >> first, your news. re you real? a shiny coat of paint? a list of features? what about the strength of the steel? the integrity of its design... or how it responds... in extreme situations? the deeper you look, the more you see the real differences. and the more you understand what it means

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>> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv news in baltimore. >> good morning, everybody. it is 7:56 a.m., and here is sarah look at the morning's commute. >> several accidents and the past half hour. if you'll travel south on 95, watch for delays. in the up to loop, and exit of to the side, but delays are forming. that is backed up just passed bellaire. if you head out on southbound 95, your average speed from white marsh and beyond -- 70

miles per hour 70 miles per hour as well on the west side, of the loop. another problem for their self -- all lanes are closed in that area. -- another problem south. not a lot going on here other than that delay, approaching white marsh. the northbound traffic looks great, but have the delay here on the outer loop, north east side. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> at least the weather is nice and quiet on this monday morning. we have clear skies with the temperatures on the chilly side. in this 47 in the city. the forecast to they will be mostly sunny. -- will be mostly below 60.

tuesday it will have highs in the mid-60s, a chance for rain showers on wednesday. a few more rain showers possible for the beginning of next weekend. >> as always, you can check the bottom of your screen for traffic and weather updates.

8:00 now on a monday morning, the 19th day of april, 2010. 47 degrees here on the plaza. so, a little chilly, but we have a massive crowd gathered here in rockefeller center. a little crazy, actually. >> this is the rebound rolling spring break. >> what happened here? spring break this week? >> yeah. >> i'm matt lauer along with ann

curry, while meredith has the day off and al roker is with us. coming up, the lucky recovery of a young lady. >> after allegedly getting into a text messaging dispute with a 15-year-old boy. just ahead, her mother shares exclusive new images of her daughter, who is now preparing for her third brain surgery since the attack. >> wow! that's josie ratley. my goodness. also ahead on a much, much lighter note, do you know who i saw walking into the building a second ago? >> who? who? >> jennifer lopez is here. >> there she is. >> brand new movie coming out called "the backup plan." she has an album in the works, a family to talk about, and she was just happy -- although, nothing about you people, but she's wearing something that wouldn't have been conducive to being out here in 47-degree weather. so, she's happy she gets to stay in the studio. >> i was on "saturday night live" when she hosted.

she was fantastic. >> go press your nose up against the glass. >> sorry they're so disappointed. >> michelle obama's big brother, craig robinson, will be here to talk about his little sister and how her life has changed. >> cool. look forward to that. can we also say hello to sharon osbourne? >> yes. >> one of the stars on "the apprentice" this season. how are you? >> fabulous. >> i was worried about you. you were off the show last week because kind of a cold, cough type thing. >> i had, actually, swine flu. >> no. >> but we didn't tell anyone. no, that was november. >> the show was on tape. >> you're feeling better now? >> i've never been so sick in my life. and then i had bronchitis. it was the worst. >> and donald gave you a pass. he said take a week off, which -- he has a heart. who knew? >> he does. he's a good guy.

>> before you got sick with the swine flu, the women won three challenges in a row. when you were absent, they lost. coincidence? >> i don't think so. >> i don't think it was a coincidence. >> have you had fun with this? >> she says with all humility. >> i tell you what, it was the hardest thing i have ever done in my entire career, but also the best. >> hardest? >> hardest, hardest. >> why? >> it's such hard work. it's constant mental pressure and you've got such a short time to do each challenge. and there's so much pressure on you the whole time. it's really tough. >> is there any friction between you and your teammates? it seems like you've been quoted as saying holly robinson-pete and summer sanders is like watching ice melt. >> you have to stick up for yourself. i love them both, but you have to stick up for yourself, because it's business. >> right. >> i have to ask you about this crazy story. this may be completely wrong. >> go ahead. >> there's a crazy story that you're planning to have -- forgive me, your implants

removed this summer and will be giving them to ozzie as a paperweight. is that true or false? >> it's true. >> true? >> yes, it's true. >> why would you give them to ozzie as a paperweight? >> they're better on his desk than on my chest, because they're awful. >> okay. >> wow! wow! i just don't even have anything to say after that. >> speaking of "america's got talent" -- >> yes. >> how is this season going to look? >> we're here all week auditioning. it gets better and better. it's fantastic. >> all right. okay. >> my papers are blowing around all of a sudden. i don't know what happened. >> hold on a minute. >> stay healthy, dear. >> as always. good to see you. >> bless you. >> and any other parts. >> i'll send them over. >> you need a paper weight? >> there it is, sunday 9:00, 8:00 central time. natalie has the headlines of the morning. natalie?

good morning to you all. good morning once again. major airports in europe and great britain canceled flights for the fifth day because of the giant ash cloud from the volume can cano in iceland. britain said it was sending navy ships to bring travelers home. erin burnett is at the stock exchange. having a major impact on airlines. >> it certainly is, natalie. from the very beginning, it was clear this was a big story for the airlines and entire economies. airlines are the backbone of any modern economy, as we all know. flow flowers come via plane as well as people. it seems that that $200 million a day number we keep hearing in terms of how much the airlines are losing could actually be a little bit low. we found out this morning that british airways alone is losing about $30 million a day due to what they have dubbed the ash crisis. that means some of europe's 100 or so airlines, gnnatalie, coul go out of business. the european union's transport commissioner at this moment, natalie, is saying the shutdown

in flights have already done more damage to the overall economy of europe than the attacks on the u.s. of september 11th, 2001. gives you a sense of magnitude of shutting down air space of what it can do to an economy. >> we're just begin ining to scratch the surface, too. erin burnett at the new york stock exchange, thank you. after a two-day trip to malta, he met privately with eight men who said they were abused by priests as boys in a catholic orphanage. he expressed his shame and sorrow at the pain the men and their families suffered. classes resumed with grief counselors available at a washington, d.c. school stunned last week by tragedy. nbc's norah o'donnell has more. norah, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. students here are devastated and mourning the loss of their beloved principal. brian betts was 42 years old and hailed as a hero in the d.c. public school system. >> all right, folks. 8:35. let's start to move in, please. >> reporter: he was a principal

who changed children's lives. >> i used to get into a lot of fights and be very negative. >> reporter: what changed? >> what changed that? >> mr. betts. >> reporter: his message to kids was simple as he told tom brokaw last year. >> if you come to this school and do what we're instructing you to do, you can pick whatever path you want in your life. >> reporter: hand picked to transform the under-performing middle school at garnett patterson. thursday, he was found shot to death inside her silver spring, maryland, home. >> a senseless tragedy that is just a tremendous loss. >> reporter: in a strange twist, betts' house has a separate tragic history. in 2002, a father and his 9-year-old daughter were brutally murdered in the same house, by an intruder who is now behind bars. police don't believe there's a connection. >> there's no sign of forced entry into the house. >> reporter: still, at betts' school, there is a deep sense of loss. >> i don't know why anybody would want to kill him or harm

him in any way. he was a good person. he was a good man. >> reporter: there's still no break in the case, but investigators say they have a good lead. his suv from his home in maryland was found abandoned here in d.c. natalie? >> norah o'donnell, such a sad story. we feel for his family and for the kids, of course. it's 8:08 right now. let's get another check of the weather right now from al roker, who is outside. >> thank you very much, natalie. you guys are trying to get -- you got a class trip to london? >> you'we're supposed to leave today. >> you'll enjoy new york. >> we love new york. >> let's show you our pick city of the day. it happens to be denver, colorado. 9 news. sunny and mild. temperature about 73 degrees. we got wet weather in the mid mississippi river valley, showers off the florida coast, another storm coming onshore in the pacific northwest. even some rain in southern california today. showers in new england. some thunderstorms down through the gulf. plenty of sunshine through the southwest.

sunny skies up and down the eastern seaboard. little on the chilly side today. temperatures warm up nicely tomorrow. where is your >> good morning, everyone. i am tony. it is a chilly start, but it will turn up to be a nice day. generally sunny, >> and they've come full circle. you guys announced your engagement on the "today" show and now you're married? >> we got married in central park. >> we froze for you. we froze. >> now let's head back down to

matt. >> al, thank you very much. when we come back, exclusive new video of 15-year-old josie ratley, as she discovers from that savaged text rage beating. we'll show you more and talk to her mother, right after this. have you tried honey bunches of oats yet? every spoonful is a little different. mmm. they got three kinds of flakes. this is delicious. it's the perfect combination of sweet and crispy. i love it. this is so good. this is great. the magic's in the mix. parents magazine and edmunds.com called it "one of the best family cars of 2009." the insurance institute for highway safety calls it a "2010 top safety pick."

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back now at 8:12 with the latest on josie ratley, the 15-year-old florida teen who was nearly beaten to death out of text rage. we'll speak to her mom in just a moment but first here is nbc's michelle kosinski. >> reporter: 15-year-old josie ratley has the constant, careful attention of her mother. in the hospital where she's been now for a month. >> feels good to get out of bed, doesn't it? >> reporter: she's sitting up, responding, though unable to speak or communicate and in intensive care. still, a remarkable change from only a few weeks ago. in a medically induced coma, her brain so swollen she needed two

surgeries to remove part of her skull. not from a car crash or tragic accident, but a beating by another teenager, a boy police say became so enraged over a text message josie had sent him, making reference to his older brother's recent suicide, that they say wayne treacy rode his bike to her school, asked other kids to point her out because he didn't even know her and kicked and stomped her with steel-toed boots until a teacher pulled him away. in court over the weekend, the boyish looking treacy was charged as an adult with premeditated murder, moved into an adult jail. through his family and his attorney, wayne treacy has said he's sorry. they tell us the boy who is devastated by the loss of his brother is now devastated by this. on "today," they described him as a caring young man, who must

have just snapped. >> he's real remorseful about it. >> reporter: now josie, who had dreams of being an artist, can barely move her right arm. she can't walk. >> you're just fine, okay? >> reporter: it's day by day and today for josie will bring another surgery. the doctors say her traumatic brain injury at the hands of a boy is basically a stranger will be a long-term struggle. both families changed forever by a text message. for "today," michelle kosinski, nbc news, miami. >> josie's mother, hilda gotay is joining us exclusively along with the family's attorney. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> hilda, let me ask you first. it was a week ago today that your daughter, joedsy, was able to recognize you. can you describe that moment? >> it was fantastic.

it just took my breath away when she was able to actually look at me and took her left hand to reach me, to hug me. i mean, it was a great, great feeling. >> i understand that she has been crying a lot. can you talk to us about how she is dealing with her injuries and also does she understand what has happened to her? >> no. she's confused and she does not know why she's there. and that's why when the crying comes in, because she doesn't know why she's there, you know. and, of course, she has a lot of headaches, too. >> she has brain surgery for a third time later on today. what are doctors telling you, h hilda, about her prognosis? >> well, they say she's a good candidate, that it's going to take a long haul, you know, but

little by little. we don't really know what she's going to be able to be capable of yet, but it's all been a positive, you know, thinking. >> you know and i know you know, rick, that on friday the court ruled that wayne treacy, the young man who is charged with attempted first-degree murder for allegedly beating josie will be tried as an adult and the 13-year-old girl who has been named will be tried as a juvenile in the case. what is your reaction to those decisions, rick? >> well, i spoke to hilda. of course, we're going to leave it in the hands of the criminal justice system. so far, i think they've made the right decisions in terms of charging. and now we're going to wait and see what happens with the entire court system. but we're going to leave it in

their hands and we're sure that they're going to make the right decisions and ultimately that mr. treacy will get what he deser deserves. >> do you want to say anything, hilda, about wayne treacy, the accusations? >> well, it's in god's hands, you know. and so far, so good. >> part of the part that's good is that you've had an outpouring of support for josie, including car washes, bowling night. and this weekend there's a walk-a-thon, i understand. why are you trying to raise money -- so much money? and where will this money go? >> we've set up a trust for josie. it's a restricted trust here in south florida through our law firm, gordon and donner. it will go to any expenses that are not covered by the medicaid insurance that she has, any of the incidentals at all.

the community has been unbelievable. the outpouring of support has been amazing. john espinoza, a gentleman in town, called me. he has three daughters and he was so touched by this, one of his daughters go to the school where this happened. he wanted to put together this walk for josie. it's turned into a huge event. there's going to be probably thousands of people showing up this sunday in deerfield beach. and everybody is going to come together from different locations. it will be an amazing event. >> rick friedman, thank you so much. hilda gotay, our best wishes to you. you have a long road ahead but at least you have your daughter out of her coma now. best wishes to you, dear. thank you. >> thank you very much. >> thank you, ann. coming up next, we'll lighten things up with jennifer lopez. but that's coming up right after this. to grow a great garden. liquafeed makes feeding as easy as watering. no measuring, mixing or guessing. just attach, insert and feed.

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my name is rickey, and i save people money so they can live better. with thousands of rollbacks, it's rollback time at walmart. ♪ she can do it all. she can dance, sing and act. now jennifer lopez is coming out with her first new movie since having twins, "the backup plan," a romantic comedy about a woman who meets a very special guy on the very same day she goes through with a plan to be artificially inseminated. that doesn't sound like good timing. jennifer lopez, welcome back. good to see you. you haven't been here since 2007. >> is that true? >> that makes this the longest maternity leave in the history of the "today" show. welcome back. >> thank you very much. >> how is mommyhood? >> it's good. i love it. >> the twins are -- >> they're 2 now.

they're walking and talking and telling me what to do. >> do you have new appreciation of terrible twos or is it kind of a myth? >> they're good. they're just into their twos. they turned 2 at the end of february. i have a whole year to go. >> "the backup plan," romantic comedy. you like this genre, point blank. >> i do. i love watching it. i force marc to watch it with me, the good ones and the bad ones. i love doing them. i really do. >> when you decided to do this movie -- you play zoe. >> yeah. >> the character is pregnant for a good portion of this movie. >> yeah. >> i'm thinking you just got done being pregnant with twins. what made you say okay i'm going to go do a movie where i am going to be pregnant again. >> i read the script i had just gone through all this stuff so it was funny to me. i knew it would be funny to other people, anybody who has ever had a baby and understands what that is. >> i mentioned she gets artificially inseminated and

then meet this is guy, who could be the guy. she is taking control of her own life. >> a very modern woman, kind of used to being on her own because she's been on her own since she was very young. so, you know, it's not like a crazy thing to her. she's independent and she's like, you know what? i'm at a point in my life, i have everything i want and now i'm going to do this. >> you're playing a character who is about to be a mom. for the first time as a mom yourself, this sounds like one of those weird hollywood questions, but if you could give zoe one piece of advice about motherhood, what would it be? >> oh, god. one piece of -- >> what didn't you expect? >> i don't know. i guess the lack of sleep is the worst part, but even that, i'm so used to that, being in this business, it wasn't even that bad. i don't know what advice i would give her. i don't know. >> the lack of sleep is a good one. >> oh, gosh. >> nobody quite understands. >> just get ready for that, mentally prepare. >> speaking of that, you're acting again. you're a mom, twins.

you're recording again, i understand. >> yes. >> when is this new album expected out? >> probably the end of the summer. i'm working on it now. >> how are you squeezing in time for that? how does the day -- how does the weekly calendar work out? >> when you have kids, they just become number one. everything else just falls into the number two, three to ten spot, you know what i mean? those spots. >> right. >> once you have that priority and once you have that perspective, everything else just kind of falls into place after that. as long as they're happy and kind of taken care of, everything else kind of comes after that. >> we know you're busy. matter of fact, you're so busy that i understand you have to kind of run from this interview. so, i'm supposed to actually -- being a gentleman. >> thank you. >> i'm supposed to actually escort you out. >> walk me to my car. >> because you have a cab waiting -- actually, you have like ten cabs waiting. i understand one of the things, as part of the movie, there will be taxis around manhattan today offering, what, free rides? >> the best way to get around new york. here is the thing. anybody gets into a backup plan cab today -- >> yeah.

>> we're picking up the cab. you get a free ride. >> it's a free taxi ride? this one over here? >> free taxi ride. let me give you a free entrance to the taxi. >> thank you. it's good to see you. >> good to see y >> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. >> hi, there. unfortunately, we are looking at several accepts. -- several accidents. there is one homicide on the upper lip. you can see the delays it is creating all the way back to 95. there are also inner loop delays. 40 miles per hour through that. the west side is a lingering in the inner loop. 5 miles per hour is the average.

we're looking at the normal slow spots on southbound i-95. it will take 41 minutes to get toward the harrisburg expressway. 20 minutes on the outer west loop. let's give you a quick look at traffic. we will switch over now to live and you at hartford, barely moving, inching towards that accident scene. here is a check on the forecast. >> things seem pretty quiet on this monday. you might want to take a light jacket or sweater to begin the day. it is 40 at the airport. the forecast for today will be mostly sunny, mostly cool, but warmer than over the weekend. the seven-day forecast of a little warmer tomorrow, maybe a few more clubs.

the chance for a few rain showers on wednesday, especially in the afternoon. the hive will be near 63. >> thank you, tony. we will have another update.

8:30 now on a monday morning, 19th day of april, 2010. another nice start to the workweek, even if it is a little colder than we would all like. these people managing to sneak in an extra day on the weekend, which is always a good thing.

out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry, al roker and natalie morales. here is a question for you. what was first lady michelle obama like as a young girl? well, few people would know better than her older brother, craig robinson. now he has written a new book about his life and their lives, and we're going to talk to him about that and much more, coming up in a couple of minutes. basketball coach there. >> i know. i shook his hand. he's a tall drink of water, i'll tell you that. also, a serious topic. there's a new book that has come out about eliot spitzer, and the new governor and the rise and self-inflicted fall, some would say. he was forced to resign after being caught up in a scandal involving prostitution. the question that the book may raise is why was it that he fell so fast? and were there other reasons besides his own undoing? >> okay. also, today is the 15th anniversary of the oklahoma city

bombing, shocking case of domestic terrorism. you'll hear for the first time the actual voice of timothy mcveigh, the man who was executed for carrying out the attack talk about how and why he did it. >> it's haunting to hear him speak about that. >> in his own voice. >> yeah. let's say hello to the future of television. >> shall we sachet? >> new york women and communications foundation scholarsh scholarships. >> i don't want to stand in front of you guys, though. >> they'll accept their awards today. emily o'brien and natifia gains are two of thoo this year's winners. ladies, nice to have you. congratulations to you. what's the idea behind the scholarships? >> new york women in communications foundation provides education, career development, mentoring and scholarships for the next generation of communications professionals. so, these 19 young women are the 2010 scholarship recipients. in total, the foundation is

giving them more than $100,000 to help them advance their careers so they can some day have your jobs. >> we can't do them forever, you guys. what were the criteria? they were pretty high for these students to meet. >> a very rigorous review process, based not only on academic achievement, but achievement in and outside of the classroom. some of these students are already writing for daily newspapers, appearing on cable spo sports television programs and more. >> you won the woman nbcu scholarship. as an aspiring film maker, how do you see the way people are going to be taking in media in the future? >> for filmmakers, it's really exciting right now. it's so easy to create and share your work. for audiences, they have great access to a whole variety of works right now. so, i think one of the main challenges is going to be to keep up that original content in this digital age. that's definitely something that i want to work on as a filmmaker, to use that innovative technology to then advance innovative content.

>> oh, man. you're freaking me out. >> and you're also a winner from gonzaga university. lot of big shoes to fill when you look at the women who have won, our own meredith vieira, barbara walters. what is your game plan going forward? >> i definitely hope to become in the future. just to belong on a list with meredith vieira and tina fey, we've all shown that we have the ability to kind of contribute to the communications industry and if we continue on this path and continue to grow with the amazing women, it's a vision we all can kind of fulfill. >> let's step out of this way. >> i don't want to block anyone else. >> here you are. congratulations. >> good morning, everyone. i am tony.

after of chilly start, it will turn out to be a nice day. generally sunny with high temperatures. low to m >> don't forget. keep track of your weather all day long on the weather channel or weather.com online. we're kicking off earth week here at nbc universal, going green across our family of networks to help raise awareness with our programming about the iss issues facing our planet and how you can help. >> okay, al. thank you so much. coming up, michelle obama's big brother. we'll be talking to craig robinson. first this is "today"

we are back now. 8:37, with the big brother of the first lady, michelle obama. craig robinson is the head coach of oregon state university's men's bask ball team. he also had the honor of introducing his sister to the world at the 2008 democratic national convention. >> they'll stand by you, the american people, now and in the future. so, please join me in welcoming an impassioned public servant, a loving daughter, wife and mother, my little sister and our nation's next first lady, michelle obama. >> craig robinson has now written a new memoir called "the

game of character." good to see you. good morning. >> good morning. >> that had to be a freak-out moment. standing in front of that convention, introducing your sister. >> matt, it was a freak-out moment. i was so honored and so grateful to have been asked. i actually thought that they should have asked someone other than a basketball coach, but they thought i would do a decent job. >> you hung in there. you did a really good job. this, i want people to know about this book. this is not a tell all. if they're looking for dirt on the first family, they've got the wrong book here. even so, based on the fact that this is all pretty wholesome stuff, do you have to ask permission of the white house when you set out to write a book like this? >> well, i did ask permission. "a game of character" is a book that i've been dying to write even before my family got to the stage they were at. i thought about what makes people memorable, whether they're a tv host, a coach, a

leader. >> politician, yeah. >> a parent. and it all boils down to character. and a game of character is -- it's a love letter to my parents. >> yeah. one thing that struck me, craig, you know the expression you can't choose your parents? if you could choose, you probably would have chosen frazier and marion. >> absolutely. >> you had great parents. >> i had great parents and they taught it resonates in the board room, on the basketball court, on the playing field and at the dinner table. >> you write lovingly in the book about your dad, who was kind of like the philospher in chief. he said you learn a lot about a guy watching him play basketball or play basketball with him. you got to put that to test when michelle introduce the family to a man named barack obama.

>> exactly. michelle said you've met this guy i've been dating and it's getting serious. would you mind, since you and dad think you can tell a guy's personality based on how he plays, take him to play ball with you. i was like, you don't want me to take him to play ball. i didn't want that pressure because i liked him and i didn't want to be the one who says this guy is a bad guy. lo and behold, it all worked out just as my dad said it would. >> you also write something at that time. when your family met barack, you thought it was the kind of guy your sister wouldn't run over, but your mom and dad, after meeting him, felt she would eat him alive. was she tough on guys? >> she didn't suffer many fools. so, you know, she's -- i wouldn't say she's -- she was overly tough. she was just discerning. and it would take a strong person to be able to relate to my sister. >> you talk about t fact that growing up -- you were a

stand-out basketball player in high school and in college and there was, for a long period of time in your family, it was michelle who was proud to be craig robinson's little sister. >> right. >> and now, in many ways -- although, you're doing very well -- the shoe is on the other foot. and how do you like it? >> i love it, as a matter of fact. and she spent so many years coming behind me, whether it was sports, school -- we went to the same grammar school together. she was always craig robinson's little sister. i tell you, being michelle obama's big brother is a real treat and not just because she's the first lady. she's just -- she's turned into a wonderful person and that's why she's one of the people of character who have really moved me in my life, albeit being a little sister. >> having the opportunity to live in the white house is a huge honor. it's a huge honor.

it comes with a downside too. enormous scrutiny. critics are everywhere. it's hard to have a normal life. are you at all worried for your sister and their little girls about how this might impact them? >> no. you know, i think that my sister and brother-in-law are doing a great job at trying to give their life some normalcy outside of the obvious. so, i don't worry about them from that standpoint at all. you know, what i worry about is that the cousins see each other enough times, but that would be something you would worry about if they were still in chicago and we were out in oregon. >> most commuting families and widespread families worry about that anyway. great to see you, coach. >> thanks for having me. >> good luck with the book. >> thank you. >> the book is called "the game of character." rise and fall, a strange segue, of new york governor eliot spitzer. first this is "today" on nbc.

back at 8:45, eliot spitzer with a high-price prostitution scandal were exposed. now we're learning more about his life and career in a book by peter elkind, called "rough justice." good morning. >> good morning. >> lot of buzz about this book. let's start with talking about before his fall from grace, eliot spitzer was known as the sheriff of wall street when he was new york's attorney general. >> yes. >> describe for us -- remind us of his power at that time and why he was so revialed by the financial institutions he tried to police. >> sure, sure. he was an enormous force, probably the most powerful public official outside of washington. and he had turned the second tier job of attorney general into a very powerful position by

going after wall street at a time when the sec and the federal government was peeling back on deregulation. >> he reeled so fast that people were talking about him being the first jewish president. >> yes. >> you say that no politician has soared so high or has fallen so fast. >> that's right. that's right. in four years -- if you think about it, six years ago, he was better known and considered as much a presidential contender as barack obama. so, he was a rising star. he was headed who knows where. suddenly, overnight, it disappeared. >> it disappeared because of a scandal of his own making. >> yes. >> his wife believes him to be a, quote, casualty of the powerful forces he has courageously taken on. >> yes. >> is there any evidence to support his takedown was in part because he had enemies? >> there's not proof. we don't know for sure what happened. it remains a mystery. there are a lot of unanswered questions about why his enemies, who deplored him, despised him

and who were intent on bringing him down, there's questions about how they knew some things they claim to have known. >> does eliot spitzer buy into this sense of conspiracy? >> he basically suspects they played a part in the whole thing but does acknowledge -- ultimately, it's obviously his fault. he is the one who chose to sell prostitutes. was i set up? i was set up by the human psyche. >> he was also maybe, one might argue, reckless. >> no question about it. >> at one point he asks a bank executive for an anonymous wire to pay for his activity. >> yes. >> that was going to send up a big red -- it did, in fact? it had to be reported? >> it had to be reported. sitting governor of new york, one of the most recognizable faces in politics, followed by state police escorts around the clock. it was absolute lunacy. yet he increasingly took very risky steps to get money to the prostitution service to keep

doing this. when he got turned back when something didn't work, he didn't give up on trying to see escorts. he found some other way to do it. >> you go into details in this book about how you allege that he actually went to this particular club, emperor's club much longer than he actually has publicly acknowledged. you talk about these women in detail individually. you also talk about how eliot spitzer actually arrived in puerto rico on the same day as one of the escorts left. so, you understand having spoken to eliot spitzer why -- what was it in his makeup -- what allowed him to take these kinds of risks, to engage in these kinds of risks? >> an extraordinary thing. he acknowledged starting to see prostitutes in march of 2006 in the conversations i had with him. somehow he rationalized this. he saw as seeing prostitutes as not the same kind of betrayal as having an affair. he said if i had an affair

instead of doing what i had done, i might still be governor, but i wouldn't still be married. he somehow compartmentalized this. some rational for what he was doing. >> meanwhile he still wanted power. >> he very much wanted to remain in government and politics. >> he might even run again? >> he might run again. striking thing about the puerto rico episode, he was juggling politics at the same time he was juggling his private life. >> the book is called "rough justice." back in a moment. this is nbc.

it was 15 years ago today that a huge bomb ripped through the alfred p. murray federal building in oklahoma city, the worst act of domestic terrorism the u.s. has ever experienced. rachel maddow takes a closer look at the man behind the bomb i ings, timothy mcveigh, in a special that airs tonight. good to see you. >> good morning, matt. thanks. msnbc obtained 45 hours of audiotaped interviews in which timothy mcveigh describes the planning, execution and motivation behind this horrific attack. we used cutting-edge technology, able to re-create some of the very scenes he describes in these tapes. in this never-before heard detailed account, it's all told to us by the terrorists himself. >> blast went off and i felt the

concussion in both the area of my feet. >> it goes off and rattles all the buildings around him. he never goes back to look at his handy work. >> so i both heard it clearly through my earplugs and literally i was lifted off the ground. i know this may sound like i'm cold and detached but remember this is military training. i was never hyped up. i was always in complete control. the mission was accomplished. i knew it was accomplished. and it was over. >> fbi agents prepare to take mcveigh out of the noble county courthouse. it will be the first time the world gets a look at the oklahoma city bomber. >> there were steps leading out of the courthouse. i had to concentrate on where those steps were going to be without dipping my head down and looking down because people would take dipping my head down as a sign of defeat or something. and i'm in leg chains. in leg chains, if you've ever

tried walking down the stairs and your stride is too long, you'll fall down because the chap chain catches on the middle step. those are the little things i was thinking of. >> outside the courthouse, mcveigh comes face to face with a crowd that grows unruly. >> reporter: it was hard to pick out individual things. because they're all yelling at once, right? but i do distinctly remember one, i heard look over here [ bleep ]. look me in the face. my immediate thought was i'm not going to give you the pleasure of looking over there. this is something i saw as a larger good and i know that as i analyzed the history of not just the u.s., but all nations throughout the history of mankind, people have killed for what they believed was the greater good. and -- and it's accepted. sometimes killing is accepted. >> in these recordings, timothy mcveigh clearly comes across as a sociopath, by no means normal and well adjusted. it's important to note he didn't see himself as a lone wolf.

he saw himself as part of a movement, guns-based patriot movement that was important to him. >> it's chilling to hear his voice describe these events. this movement you talked about, there were arrests recently in michigan, militia members plotting anti-government activities. do we know, have any idea how widespread this movement is right now? >> it's hard to quantify. when you talk to law enforcement sources i spoke with homeland security secretary janet napolitano about this on my show. it seems there's a resurgence of those. >> fueled by what? >> economic dislocation. that doesn't get enough credit as a cause. also by alienation from the government, feel that the government is on the other side, not on your side. and this is sort of the movement that ebbs and flows over american history. right now it's flowing. it doesn't mean that anybody in the movement right now is the next timothy mcveigh, but it does mean we ought to pay attention to the risk. >> rachel, thank you very much. >> thank you, matt.

>> you can watch "the mcveigh tapes" at 9:00 pm eastern time. we're baas >> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv news in baltimore. >> good morning, and i m mindy basara. a baltimore father is behind bars after admitting to beating his two-year-old daughter to death. he is charged with first and second-degree murder. police responded for an unresponsive child on saturday. she was beaten with a belt on her father after allowing the dogs into the house. >> me, him, and the baby were members of the church. he recently went into scored very high on his ged. he turned his life around.

>> there has been no mention of the child's mother. he was on parole for

>> good morning. it is a chilly start on this monday. is this a little below the mark concerning the average tied at 66. it will be warmer than it was over the weekend. over the next couple days the clouds will thicken, and we will see some rain chores on wednesday and then off and on again on friday and saturday. >> take you for joining us and